Ditching-machine.



' QWi/bnemeo B. BOWMAN.

DITOHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 001225, 1909.

1,003,028, Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

e' SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wuawboz al fo'nnu a B. BOWMAN.

DITCHING MACHINE.

H APPLICATION nun 00126, 1909; 4 1,003,028, Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

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wi/tvwoqw 0/601? 11/ flm/wg w .B. BOWMAN. DI'II'GHIKG MACHINE. Ari'moumnFILED OCT. 25, 1909.

1,003,028. Patented Se t; 12. 1911.

lwuahbez attozm'uaa e rumm a citizen of the United States, residing atSpringfield, 1n'the county of Greene and UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

BENJAMIN BOWMAN, OF $PRINGFIELD, MISSOURI DITCHING-MACHINE- Applicationfiled October 25, 1909. Serial No. 524,409.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be It known that I. BENJAMIN BOWMAN,

State of Missouri, have invented certain new and .useful Improvements inDitching. Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description oft-he invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

This invention relates to improvements in ditching machines. One objectof the invention is to provide. a machine of this character havingarranged thereon a pneumatic hoisting and dumping mechanism, the airforactuating which is under control of suitable valves whichmay beoperated by one man. Another object is to provide a ditchingmachinehaving means for the attachment and operation of variousimplements employed in connection with ditching opera'- the appendedclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fi'gure 1 .which project'upwardly throughthe upper arranged in elevated inoperative position;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of a portion of the machine; Fig. 7 is adetail plan view of one of the scraping and spreading-blades Fig. 8 is asimilar view of the bank sloper;

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional View of the bank sloper; Fig. 10 isadetail vertical section of the four-way control valve; Figrll is atransverse section taken on the line 1111 of Fig. 10; Fig. 12 isaidet'ail side elevation showing the pivotal *ciin'nection' there may beany desired number,

ptiriips 211may be operated by a suitable" "engine carried by themachine orithey may be the bed-of a flat car and which is-proSpecification of Letters Patent.

cylinders. The chains 6 and I to be. connected with and to operate'varlous implements or devices employed n jconnecwill be hereinafterdespribed.

Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

HElSSUED vided with. suitable supporting wheels 2. Arranged. on theplatform 1, near the center ,of the same, are upright derrick frames 3,on each side of which are plvotally mounted cranes 4, 1n the boom of.which are mounted 'guide pulleys 5 around which are passed hoist ngchains 6. The derrick frames 3 are spaced a suitable distance apart andare connected together at their upperv ends by a longitudinally disposedbrace bar 7 and are further braced by guy rods 8 connected thereto'andto the platform of the car.

are; mounted guide pulleys 9 over which the hoisting chains 6 pass,saidchains passg' hrough the bars 7 around th ll 10 on the pper ends ofpiston rods 11 which On the upper endsof the derrick frames are providedwith pistons 12. .The piston rods 11 and pistons l2 operate in hoistingendsv of the cylinders and have connected thereto chains 17 which passover guide pul-- leys 18 which are arranged onthe derrickframes, asshown.

by the pressure of aironthe'pistons in the 1 are adapted tion with theditching operations and which Locatedfat any 'suita le -positionon'oi'be neat-h the platforin- 1 are compressed air storage tanks orreservoirs 2t), said tanks being here shown as arranged on the plat-'form, adjacent toone end thereof. .Cion- .nected with- .the reservoirsor tanks are suit.-

able air compressing pumps ,21 of which be connected to the'boiler ofthe locomotive The chains 17 pass around pulleys 19 on the upper endsofth'e piston rods 16 and are suitably secured at. their inner'endswhereby they are operated employed in propelling the machine by asuitable steam supply pi 1e 22, as shown in the drawings. T hecompressed air from the tanks or reservoirs is conducted to the upperand lower ends of the hoisting and dumping cylinders by suitablyarranged air conducting pipes 23, in'wlnch are arranged cut-01f valves2% and four-way controlling connected at their opposite ends to theditch valves 25, said valves being arranged in a group and at a suitablelocation on the machine, within convenient reach of a single operatorwho will thus be enabled to readily control the operation of thehoisting and" dumping mechanism on both sides of the machine. I

'Pivoted insuitable bearing brackets on opposite sides of the platformof the ,machine, adjacent to one end. thereof and adapted to be swungoutwardly and inwardly to operative and inoperative positions, aredraftbeamsv 26 having formed therein a series of bolt holes 2 7 toreceivebolts to which are adjustab ly connected draft chains which areconnected with the; implements operated by the machine. The. draft beamsare connected at their outer ends to the ends of the platform 1 by draftrods 28 and the outer ends of the draft beams are supported by draftsupporting rods 29 which extend upwardly and inwardly and are connectedat their innerends to beam supporting frames 30 arranged across theplatform of.the machine, as

shown. When not use, the draft rods 28. are disconnected from the outerends of the draft beams 26 and said beams are then folded inwardlyalongside the machine to an out of'the way'position. lVhen in use, thebeams 26 project laterally from'one or both sides of the machine and tothe bolts in the bolt holes 27 in the beams are connected draft rods or'chains'31 which are forming devices.

In the ditching operations, Tare em iloyed a number of implements ordevlces actuated by the machine and among which are scoops] 32, totheopposite sides of WhlCll, ad acent -to-their upper edges areconnected bails 33- towhich are secured the-outer ends ofthe hoistingchains 6, which'pass over the guide pulleys in the cranes 4 andderriclrframes and under pulleys 10 on the-piston rods 11 of the pistonsin the hoisting cylinders'13 and are secured at-their inner ends to thederrick frames whereby when said pistonsare forced downwardly by the airlet into'. the upper ends of the cylinders, a pull is exerted on thechains and said scoops will be hoisted. To the rear ends of the scoopsare connected the outer ends of'the dumping chains 17 which pass overthe "guide. pulleys 18 in the derrick frames 3 and cranes'4 and underthepulleys 19 on the piston rods 16 of the pistons 15 in the dumpingcylinders 1.4, whereby when air is let into the upper ends of saidcylinders 1st, after the scoops have been hoisted, a pull will beexerted on the chain 17 and the rear cnds of the scoops will be elevatedand at the same time air is released from, the hoist ing cylinders topermit the forward ends of the scoopsto lower thereby dumping the same.When the scoops are lowered to an operative position, the forward.endsof the same are connected by draft chains 31 to the bolts in thebolt holes27' of the draft beams whereby said scoops are drawn along theditch and are thus loaded. i

In addition to the scoops, I provide plows 34- which are held out at thedesired distanc'e from one or both sides of the machine by connectingbars 35. (See Fig. 3.) The bars 35 are eachpreferablyconstructed oftubular telescoping sections, whereby the bar may be lengthened orshortencdto hold the {plow at the desired distance from the side of themachine. The telescoping sections bar 35'is connected in any suitablemanner to the beamof the plow, The plow beam is'connected at its forwardend to a draft cable 37 the for'ward end of which is. fas

.tened to a suitable connection on one side of the machine, as shownclearly in Fig. 3,

whereby each plow is drawn through the ditch. On the rear end of theplow beam 1s arranged an upwardly pro ecting arm or standard 38, towhich is connected the outer end. of a steering bar 39 which is formedin adjustaby connected telescoping sections similar-to the bar 35 andwhich is connested-at its inner end to the piston rod l0 of a piston 41operable in a horizontally disposed air cylinder 42, one of which isarranged on each side of and beneath the platform of the "machine,adjacent to the endthcreof, as shown in Fig.

'3.- The cylinders 42 are connected by suitable airconducting pipes 43to the compressed air-reservoirs 20 and in said pipes are arrangedcontrolling valv'es whereby the air is admitted to. the cylinders andexhausted therefrom to operate the pistons and thereby retract orproject the steering rod'39 which will move the rear end of the plowbeam in the desired direction forstcering the plow alongthe ditch. Tothe forward end of tho plow beam is connected the outerend of one of thehoisting chains 6 whereby said end of: the plow beam and the plow .pointmay roosioaa and flaring out-wardly toward their upper and reaijl edges,as shown. The forward edge of tl'ielfsl'oper is provided with a cuttingblade 46 which engages and loosens the earth formingth'e sides of theditch and permit the curvedjside plates of the slqper to grade i Theouter ends of on the inner side plate 45 down or incline the sides oftheditch. The sloper is held in position at the desired distance beyondthe. side of the machine. by the connecting bar 35, which also forms.the connection for the plow, as previously described; In additionto thebar 35, I also preferably employ an additional bar 47 (see Fig. 5) whichis constructed in a similar manner to the bar 35 and is connected at itsinner end to one arm of the bracket 36 above the bar 35, said bracketbeing provided with two pairs of connecting lugs or arms arranged invertically spaced relation and diverging-as shown 1n Figs. 3 and 5. thebars 35 and 47 are connected to bearing lugs or cars of the sloper.- Thesloper has connected to the opposite ends of its forward edge, a draftchain 48 which is engaged. by a draft pulley 49, said pulley beingconnected to the draft cable 37 of the plow, whereby the bank sloper isdrawn along theditch. The bank sloper is supsuitably ported inoperativeposition by the hoisting cables 6 to the outer end of which it isconnected in any suitable manner.

Pivotally connected at their forward ends to suitable bearing brackets50 arranged on the'oppo site sidesof the platform 1, adjacent to thebrackets 36, are dirt. spreading or scraping blades 51 which are adaptedto be swung inwardly and outwardly from the sides of the machine at anydesired angle to scrape or spread the dirt, adjacent the opposite sidesof the machine (see Figs. 1 and 7).. The dirt spreading blades 51 areheld at the desired angle at the sides of the ma China by brace rods 52which'are preferably formed in adjustably connected telescoping sectionswhereby the bars may be lengthened or shortened to hold the blades atthe desired angle. The inner ends of the. bars 52 are pivotallyconnecved to suitable brackets on the underside of the platform 1 and attheir outer ends are pivotally connected to "the inner sides oftheblades. The forward ends of the blades 51 are pivotally connected to thebearing brackets 50 in such manner that the blades may be lowered andraised to operative'and inoperative positions, said blades beingpreferably so connected by together at their forward and lower edgesthelatter may be swung hangers 55 to the underside "side of the operatinvarious lmplements used in connection with blades 51 to permit theblades to be moved vertically (see'Fig. 12). The bladesare lowered andraised by hoisting chains 6 whiclrare connected at their lowerendsthereto in any suitable manner. By disconnecting the', brace bars52'from the blades, back against the sides of the machineto aninoperative and out of the way position. The lower ends of the bearingbrackets 50 to which the forward ends of the scrapingbladesLareconnected, are braced by chains or 'rods 53 which connect said lowerends of the brackets to the end of theplatform, as shown.

In addition'to the various ditching and grading devices hereindescribed, I provide on each side of the machine small spreading orscraping plows, comprising blades or plates 54 which are hingedlyconnected by of the machine. The blades 54 are disposed at a suitableangle and when in operative position are connected to draft chains 56which are secured at their'opposite ends to the frame of the machine.These scraping plows are provided to scrape olf'from the ends of theties and the ballast outside the railway rails, any dirt which may havefallen thereon. When not. vin use the blades 54 may be folded up underthe platform of the machine and held in any suitable manner.

Suflieient space is provided on the platform 1 of the machine betweenand on each cylinders to receive the the machine when the implements arenot in service andsuitable boxes or receptacles are provided to receivethe various bracing and operating bars and rods used in connection withthe operation of the machine.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the inventionwill be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

' Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, as defined in theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is:

1. In a ditching machine, the combination of a wheeled supportingstructure, an implement connecting bar connected to said structure andextending laterally therefrom, said bar being composed of telescopicallyengaged sections, means for adjustably con-. necting said sections,"alongitudinally extensible steering bar arranged in a plane above saidconnecting-bar. means connected to theinner end of said steering bar forprojecting or retracting it, and implement raising and lowering meansmounted on said structure.

2. Ina ditchingmachine, the combination of a wheeled supportingstructure, an im-- plement connecting bar connected to saidstructure'and extending laterally thereirom,

' means for varying the'length of said bar, a

- fluid r01 said piston under the control of the operator-for projectingand retracting said steering bar. p

3. In a ditching machine; the combination of a wheeled supportingstructure, an impl'ement connecting bar connected to one side of saidstructure and extending laterally therefrom, means for varying thelength of said bar, a draft cable connected at one end to said structureat a point in advance of said connecting bar and adapted to be connectedat its other end to the implement to be operated, a steeringbar.composed oftelescopically engaged sections provided with means foradjustably. connecting them, means for connecting one end of said bar toan implement to beguided, proiecting 'and retracting means connectedwiththe'other end of said bar, and means'for raising and lowering animplement.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set vmy handin. presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

'BENJAMIN BOVMAN. Witnesses:

CHAS. YOUNG, A. O, IQILHAM.

